The Betrayer and the Queen
by Adventure-Seeking-Juliet
Summary: Gold is a Sith Lord, a betrayer of the republic and the Jedi order, and Belle is a queen of a peaceful planet, but when he captures her, everything changes.
1. Part One

**The Betrayer and the Queen **

Written by: Adventure-Seeking-Juliet

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places. They either belong to ABC or George Lucas.

A/N Gold is a Sith Lord, a betrayer of the republic and the Jedi order, and Belle is a queen of a peaceful planet, but upon their meeting, everything changes.

**Part One**

* * *

It was with great reluctance that the young Queen of Solarine, Belle French, rallied the few able-bodied guards to protect the capital city against the coming invasion.

In her opinion, there was little point in showing opposition to their attackers. The Sith were known for their power and cruelties…if her people fought any longer, they would surely die.

Her trusted advisor, an old Ithorian who had also served both her father and grandfather did not agree with her.

"M'lady, I do not condone this action. If the Sith take the city the loss of life will be considerable."

Belle regarded her old mentor, calmly, before speaking," Your fear has clouded your judgment, Aamaw."

Aamaw's T-shaped head bobbed from side to side," And your need to be a hero has clouded your judgment, young Belle."

Belle's voice sounded small and tiny compared to his," We have an hour before they arrive at the palace. I have called the other advisors in for a meeting. Hopefully, we can find a peaceful solution to this problem."

Aamaw continued shaking his head," There can be no peace with them, your highness. The Sith are bringers of evil and death."

Belle did not heed his words. The legends of the Sith and their power were only stories…folk tales, she thought. The Jedi order on Coruscant had destroyed masters of the dark before; they could do it again.

When the four other members of the High Council of Solarine joined them in the throne room, Belle was relieved to find that all but one of them agreed with her.

" At this point, there is little point arguing about whether or not to call the army into battle," Belle explained, pacing along the length of the throne room," Our mission now is to ensure the safety of our people."

The eldest member of the High Council, a Pau'an of high royal descent was always the first to listen to her thoughts. He was Belle's favorite member of the High Council…because of his patience and calmly asserted bravery.

As a child, she had wanted the Pau'an, who her family had affectionately called Timmy (his true name was hard to pronounce), to become her head advisor when she became queen, but had been crushed to discover that he had become the senatorial representative for Solarine in the Galactic Senate.

As usual, he was the first to ask," What would you have the plan of action be, your highness?"

Belle sighed," I would like to make contact with the Jedi Council. We could ask them to send someone to our aide and warn them of the reappearance of the Sith."

Her opposition, a human member of the council named Reyana M'ill, automatically defaced her opinion," What will that matter? We have waited too long to contact them. They will never make it in time."

Belle acknowledged Mi'll's comment with a wave of her hand," I understand. I do not want to call them here to stop the invasion. I merely wish them to protect our people and to, if need be, find a way to stop the Sith from controlling the planet."

'Timmy' nodded," I am in agreement with the queen. How can we even be sure that what we see is the Sith? We are basing our assumption on the word of our people. If the attacker is indeed a Sith Lord, we can be sure that they have come to our capital city to either manipulate or kill the members of this council."

There was a loud crash from the south side of the place, which caused the walls to shake around them.

Belle immediately went into action," Our time is run out. I will contact the JediTemple on Coruscant. As your queen, I order all of you to escape. Find the safest place available and _stay there_ until I have sorted this problem out."

The four lower members of the council bowed their heads," As you wish."

As they headed toward the ship hangar, Belle could only hope that it was not too late.

Aamaw stood his ground," I will not leave you. You cannot hope to survive this encounter."

Belle placed a hand on Aamaw's elongated shoulder," You are right, my old friend, but if you wish to help me, you must not stay here."

He shook his head, looking torn," I will not leave you, Belle. I have protected your family for generations."

"And the time has come for you to protect us again," Belle said," I need you to go to Coruscant and speak with the Jedi council. It is doubtful they will take my word…you must prove to them that Solarine is in desperate need of their help."

"B-but, M'lady-"

"Go, Aamaw. You are my only hope."

Her words seemed to push him into action. With a solemn nod of his head, her closest advisor left the throne room, vowing to do all in his power to save his queen.

Belle, for her part, was resolute.

She waited patiently for the arrival of the Sith Lord. It took longer than she had expected, giving her enough time to send a distress call to Coruscant and to check on the location of her High council members. All but one made it off planet.

It did not take long after that. Belle could almost feel the darkness in the air as the Sith drew closer to the throne room. The dark side made everything feel heavy…made the air feel thicker.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was not afraid of death, but she was afraid of losing. If she was wrong, how terribly would her people suffer? When, at last, she thought she could stand waiting no longer, the heavy doors of the throne room were thrown open.

Her _visitor _was a mere man. He was not even an imposing man, but the dark cloak hiding his face and the red light saber in his outstretched hand gave him a menacing air.

Belle smiled at him, trying to appear nonchalant," I have been expecting you."

The Sith seemed momentarily stumped by her lack of reaction to him. His long, curved fingers tightened around the hilt of his saber reflexively…and he remained completely still. For a moment, Belle wondered if she had merely dreamed him into existence.

Finally, he replied to her, in an affected voice," Ahh, yes. You are much…younger than I expected."

Belle stood, brushing the wrinkles out of her dress," And you are much…smaller than I expected."

The Sith closed in on her, his yellow eyes just visible under the cowl of his cloak," This will be easy."

Belle stared him down, reaching for the blaster hidden under her chair," Not as easy as you would expect."

The Sith laughed. The sound was so strange that Belle found herself momentarily flustered. It was the sound of an animal. The high trill was so different that Belle's heart fluttered in her chest. Surely no sentient creature could make such an evil sound?

Belle's fingers trembled as she grasped the blaster firmly in her right hand. She was no match for a fully trained Sith Lord, but confidence was the key. It was the first political lesson she'd ever learned. If you appear confident, then it doesn't matter how afraid you are. Aamaw and her father had both taught her that a person who seems confident can convince people to do anything.

The Sith Lord was no politician…nor was he an ignorant bystander. He moved forward quickly, adjusting his saber as he ran. It was obvious he expected a swift victory.

Belle fired two or three shots from her blaster. All of them would have been fatal for a normal man, but the Sith easily batted them away with his lightsaber.

Belle felt a flash of fear. There was no way for her to defend herself…but then something caught her attention. She had a minimal knowledge of the ways of the Force and Jedi combat…but even she knew that most Jedi initiates could easily deflect blaster bolts _back_ at the person who had fired them. The Sith Lord could have already killed her.

"Tell me what it is you want. If you wanted to kill me, you would have done so already. There is no need to taunt me," Belle let a little pride flow through her words. In the political arena, pride was a terrible sin, but it no longer mattered in the battle at hand.

The Sith was all but humming with anger," You think yourself clever, little girl? There are worse fates than being taunted."

He idly studied his red blade, looking almost peaceful, except for the terrible yellow gleam to his eyes.

Belle sat back upon her throne," Certainly. You seem to be an expert on those…worse fates."

The Sith grinned up at her, and Belle had the strangest urge to smile back. Slowly, tentatively, she allowed her lips to curve.

He was instantly uneasy. He stared up at her, with his brows crinkled in confusion," What kind of strange creature are you? You smile at the Dark One?"

Belle shrugged," I merely wish to greet my fate with a smile, _Dark One_. I am a politician; I cannot afford to look afraid."

He was silent. So silent and still, that Belle once again thought she had imagined his presence.

She did not like the silence," What are you going to do to me? To my people?"

The Dark One blinked, once. He seemed discombobulated.

Belle fought the urge to smile again. She had obviously stunned the great Lord of the Sith.

"Your people do not concern me, your majesty. I was ordered to bring you to my master."

"The Dark One has a master?" Belle replied, coolly," And all this time, I assumed _you _were the master."

He was instantly riled," _I will be the master. _No one can stop me. That old fool will soon whither and die. He does not understand the true meaning of power."

"And you do?" Belle asked, casually.

The Sith waved a crooked finger at her, laughing again," I will not play these games with you, little queen."

Belle glowered down at him," Then what game shall we play?"

"I will make this simple for you. I will take you to my master. If you choose to fight, I will kill all of your people, one by one. I have infinite resources."

Belle nodded," If I go with you willingly, you will spare my people?"

The Dark One smiled, all teeth," You are in no position to negotiate, Miss French."

Belle remained seated, with her arms crossed. She did not smile back at him this time.

"However, if it will put your conscience at rest, you have my word. Your people will not be harmed, so long as you cooperate."

Belle smiled then," Then let's make haste." She stood, holding the tip of her golden dress in one hand.

Without asking, she carelessly used his empty hand as a grip to help herself down and led the way out of the throne room.

The awed expression on the Sith Lord's face kept Belle thoroughly amused all the way to the ship hangar.

* * *

A/N Let me know what you think?


	2. Part Two

**The Betrayer and the Queen**

Written by: Adventure-Seeking-Juliet

**Part Two**

* * *

The Dark One's ship was a sleek model, so new that it shimmered under the fluorescent lights of the hangar.

Belle did her best not to appear impressed. She was rarely moved by something as frivolous as a fancy ship, but she had expected someone like her captor to fly a ship built for combat…not a ship designed for a showroom.

The Dark One noticed her gaze and smirked,"… You like my ship, dearie?"

Belle folded her arms across her chest," I was merely wondering why a Sith Lord would fly something so pointless."

He gaped down at her, with his hand placed over his heart in mock hurt. Then with a shove a little harder than necessary, he pushed Belle toward the entrance.

Before they were safely inside, the boarding ramp retracted.

Belle stared at her captor in confusion," You are not piloting the ship?"

The Dark One shrugged nonchalantly," Obviously not."

He disappeared into the cockpit, and Belle, against her better judgment, followed him.

The Dark One had taken a seat next to the pilot and was speaking to him in hushed tones.

"Jefferson, I need to be on Felucia by tomorrow. I don't care what maneuvers you have to pull, just get us there."

Jefferson nodded," Yes sir."

Belle couldn't help herself," So, we're traveling all the way to Felucia? I was unaware that it was home to humanoid lifeforms-"

The Dark One stared her down," Go."

When Belle refused to budge, he Force-pushed out of the room and locked the blast door behind her.

Belle had considered beating on the door…but after a short internal debate, decided against it. If she was going to find a way out of this mess, she would have to do something more impressive than have a childish tantrum.

She doubted she could annoy the Dark One enough to let her go, anyway.  
Instead, she wandered around the ship, searching for weaknesses. They weren't hard to find.

Despite the ship's fancy exterior, the inside was hardly well-kept. There were a few loose wires and broken computer screens lying around, just waiting to be tampered with.

Belle took her time deciding which part of the ship to hijack first. If she messed with the wrong part, they could all end up lost in the vacuum of space.

Eventually, she happened upon the control panel. There were several different wires and buttons…but Belle did not want to hit anything until she was sure of what they did.

So, she studied the control panel and waited for her chance.

That chance came sooner than she had expected. Belle searched through all of the compartments, but found nothing. When it seemed the search was hopeless, she had slid to the floor, holding her head in her hands. Was it really going to end like this? Belle French was a strong woman- a queen of a prosperous planet, could she really be nothing more than a damsel in distress?

Belle removed her hands from her face. The thought of being at the mercy of a Sith Lord made her blood boil. With a newfound determination, she climbed to her feet, angrily swiping away her tears.

Belle was disposable to her planet now. Her people would be safe, as long as Aamaw made it to Coruscant in one piece.

Belle wrapped her small hand around a green wire and closed her eyes. She could only hope she was choosing the right wire. If she did not, she hoped to find some consolation in the fact that she died a martyr for her people and killed a Sith Lord in the process.

"_No one decides my fate but me_," She whispered to herself. It was a quiet mantra, spoken for the benefit of no one, save for herself. She wished to speak profound last words, even if she was the only person who would ever hear them.

She tightened her grip around the wire, repeating her mantra over and over inside her head, then pulled.

The green wire snapped with surprising ease, but Belle felt only a slight tingle from the electricity powering the ship.

The ship itself barely shuddered. There was a quit whine from the engines, then they began to sputter.

As if on cue, the Dark One came barging through the doors a moment later, his teeth bared and his yellow eyes gleaming.

"What the Hell did you do?" He demanded strutting forward. His lightsaber was deactivated, but he obviously did not need it to be dangerous.

Belle raised her chin," I don't know what you're talking about."

He grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall," Do not play coy with me, your highness. _What did you do_?"

His face was mere inches from her own. She could feel his breath against her neck and see every haggard line in his face. To her surprise, Belle did not mind.

The lines were not cruel...he had indentations around his mouth...as though he used to smile. He was a man who had lived a different life once.

"Laugh lines," Belle whispered, staring at his mouth. Had it not been curved in a snarl, it would have had a pleasant look.

The Dark One seemed bewildered," _What_?"

Belle could have used his distraction to her advantage. She could have easily tricked him into kissing her...into forgetting. All men were easily distracted. Their attention spans had proven humorous to Belle, but she had no desire to trick the Sith apprentice.

"Laugh lines, m'lord. They are the wrinkles that form around a person's mouth when they smile frequently," Belle supplied, smiling at him," Yours are lovely. It's hard to believe you used to smile."

The Dark One remained only inches from her face. He was so close that she could read each expression clearly. He was surprised by her statement, but confused by her manner. Underneath all of his other emotions, Belle could still sense his fear and anger.

He was a Sith now, that was for certain, but Belle knew he had once been a normal man.

"So...you were a man once?" She asked," A normal man?" She couldn't help but lean in closer to him.

His face became expressionless," I am no man, nor was I ever. The Force is a terrible burden."

Belle could feel his underlying sadness...it leaked into his voice.

"You are sad."

He stared at Belle, sizing her up," No, I am a Sith. There is no sadness, only power."

Belle shook her head," You are wrong...Do you miss your life? Before the Sith? Before the destruction? Before the death?"

Belle couldn't stop herself. Her curiosity had always gotten the best of her. She wanted to understand the Dark One. Why would someone choose such a life?

He glowered at her," I was no stranger to death and destruction, even before I became a Sith. The Force marked me for a terrible fate."

"The Force does not control your fate, you do," Belle said, glowering back at him," It is cowardly to blame your woes on an abstract idea."

The Sith laughed," Then it is a good thing I am a coward, _your highness_."

"Don't call me that."

The Dark One continued to chuckle," Are you not a queen? Is that not your title, _your highness?"_

She nodded," It is, but among intimate acquaintances, I am called Belle."

"Belle," he let it roll off his tongue. With his foreign accent, Belle rather thought he made her name sound like a word of power, "I'd hardly call us _intimate acquaintances." _

Belle leaned in closer to him, so that her lips hovered just above his ear," You are my kidnapper. I dare say you and I are the most intimate of acquaintances there can be."

The Dark One backed away from her so quickly, Belle wondered if she were on fire.

The ship was now experiencing even more turbulence. The whining sounds had increased and the engine was rumbling.

"Jefferson?" The Dark One called, his voice hoarse and strained over the sound of the ship.

"Sir? The ship is compromised-"

"I know," he barked," Land on the nearest inhabited planet, immediately, and prepare for a crash landing."

* * *

A/N Much apologies for leaving off my usual greetings, but I was in a hurry to post before the end of the night. Expect the next chapter soon and please review. ;D


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